Telephones can often operate in two modes: a normal mode where the earpiece of the telephone is brought up to the user""s ear, and a speakerphone mode in which the telephone becomes more sensitive to sounds, and produces its output volume at a higher level output volume. In the speakerphone mode, the telephone speaker produces much higher volume so the sounds can be heard at a distance.
In a desktop telephone, the speakerphone often uses a different speaker than the one normally used for the handset.
On a portable phone, however, the same speaker may be used for both the speakerphone mode and for the handset mode. Since the speaker produces much more volume during the speaker mode, an unintentional attempt for the user to put the speakerphone-mode-telephone up to ones ear could cause hearing discomfort or permanent hearing damage.
The present system enables using a speakerphone in a portable phone by a safety mechanism that only allows the speakerphone mode to be entered when the portable phone is in the specified position.
According to a disclosed mode, that specified position is either at horizontal or within 10xc2x0 of horizontal. Once the phone is maintained in this position for 1-3 seconds, speakerphone mode is enabled. The inventor recognizes that it is unlikely that a user would use a non-speakerphone in horizontal or close to horizontal position. Therefore, it is unlikely that this position would be used during normal speaking.